Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park encompasses the namesake peak: a 14,000-foot volcanic giant that looms large over Washington's pacific northwest. Climbing Mt Rainier is a career goal for many Cascade Range peak-baggers, but exploring the park's many miles of trail equally popular among the less alpine-inclined. If you are passing through Seattle, set aside a day for some Mt Rainier hikes. We recommend trying a section of the Wonderland Trail. If you do want to make it to the top of the mountain itself, plan accordingly; summit attempts can take up to 6 days to complete.

One great thing about being out on the trail is allowing your schedule to be ruled by the rising and setting sun. Here are the best sunrises and sunsets you photographed and submitted to our photo contest this year.

Three days is all you need for this memorable, 33.2-mile circuit on the northern flanks of Rainier, which connects Natural Bridge, the Yellowstone Cliffs, and Grand Park, a string of must-see landmarks bypassed by the Wonderland Trail.

On this 6.1-mile lollipop loop, you'll crest two summits on Burroughs Mountain, trace the Sourdough Mountains' ridgeline, and take in views of Mount Rainier, the Emmons Glacier, and 11,138-foot Little Tahoma Peak.